Good folks out there, I’ve got some exiting news for y’all! Have you ever heard of the guy who decided to fit a pair of Rottweiler Performance Quick Flip Arrow mirrors on his BMW R1200GS Adventure? Neither had I, so I decided to do something about it.
Rottweiler Performance is a Southern California based design and manufacturing facility with the primary goal of creating useful products for consumers looking to customize their motorcycles beyond what the factory engineers have set for their target audience. Quite often what manufacturers create for the consumer can be very limited in scope and vision because of this. This includes the adventure market as well as dual sport, street and road racing. Our rich history in highly competitive motorsports uniquely positions us to draw from varying disciplines of engineering experience in order to reach our creative goals. Read more at https://www.rottweilerperformance.com/
The original mirrors on the GSA are not bad at all. I loved the change from round mirrors on my 2010 GSA to the skewed-squarish mirrors on my 2017 GSA. Until now I have not had any issues with them, however, I was made aware of the potential damage and cost crashing them could cause. After all they are an integral part of instrument cluster on each side of the handlebar, and an unfortunate mishap could not only damage the mirror but also the entire unit. That would without doubt cost some decent money.
There are many alternatives out there, with perhaps the Doubletake setup being amongst the more popular. However, I decided to upgrade to the Rottweiler Performance Quick Flip Arrow kit, together with the great Aussie-made Barkbusters and Storm hand guards. And guess what; I am super exited by the end result! See my upgrade below.
First step was of course to remove the original mirrors. It is an easy task, however, pay attention to the threading and make sure you loosen the screw nut the right way.
I installed Evotech Machined Aluminium Hand Guard Protectors about a year ago. Since I was not only changing mirrors but also hand guards, these had to come off as well.
Finally, ready for the installation!
I ordered my Barkbusters from Nippy Normans. I found a lot of dealers locally were out of stock, however, reliable Nippy Normans had them shipped to my address within a week. Thanks!
The kit wasn’t at all hard to install but you might want to study the instructions attached to make sure you don’t end up installing them left-to-right or upside-down. There is a right side, and a wrong side (well a left side as well). Anywho, you’ll easily figure it out.
Install the mounting kit but don’t tighten the screws and bolts quite yet. Mount them loosely on both left and right side, and adjust according to your break and clutch lever and preferred riding position. Then you should be OK to tighten them up.
Next up is the mirror kit. The kit comes with separate mirror mounts that need to be installed with care in exactly the right position. A template for exact screw hole positions is included in the kit, however it is based on KTM installations, so use it with care. Spend some time making sure you get it right – you probably only get one chance here. Anyhow, I recommend using a chisel of some sort to mark the drilling holes. You don’t want the mirrors to interfere with your levers, and ideally you want them as close to your hand guards as possible – while still being able to fold. Continue reading and you will understand.
Use a small drill bit and align the holes with care. If you miss the exact distance by just a minor margin, you will have to adjust them later.
Use a flute step drill bit for a burr-free hole with no deformation. It also leaves a better looking end result – even though you will never see it.
If your drill wholes does not align 100% you might want to use a small round metal grinder to make any final adjustments to make your screws align and thread into the Rottweiler Performance mirror mounts.
If your like me and want a clean conscience, grind off any sharp metal edges on the inside as well.
Now you are ready to install the Rottweiler Performance mirror mounts onto which the Arrow mirrors themselves will be attached next. At this stage you want to mount the Barkbusters Hand Guards as well and tighten all the screws and bolts of the mounts.
This is what the final result looks like with the Rottweiler Performance Quick Flip Arrow mirrors fitted on my GSA. OMG! I am super exited! I love it!
Here are some more photos for you to enjoy and evaluate if this setup would be a good fit for you as well!
First gravel ride with the Rottweiler Performance Quick Flip Arrow mirrors.
A rear view through the Rottweiler Performance Quick Flip Arrow mirrors.
A detailed view of the Rottweiler Performance Quick Flip Arrow mirrors
Another detailed view of the Rottweiler Performance Quick Flip Arrow mirrors.
The Rottweiler Performance Quick Flip Arrow mirrors are a perfect fit, and the change of mirrors is something you get used to immediately.
MyGSAdventure in a perfect view with the new Rottweiler Performance Quick Flip Arrow mirrors.
Summer’s next and I can’t wait to see what new adventures I will ride this year! Stay tuned!
Hi,
Clean install. What screw size did you use with the barkbusters?
Hi Zied, I used the original screws that came with the Barkbusters kit. I think they are M10 and M6.
Wonder if it compromises the integrity of the Barkbusters by drilling two holes so close together?
Hi Ray, you’re probably right from a mechanical standpoint, however, I have not experienced any issues because of this. But then again, I haven’t tested them properly either (no crashes yet) 🙂
Hi Edgar!
Great work, bike locks better! Does the mirrors come with an E- or ECE certificate or did you know how big the mirror size in cm2 is?
Hi Tom! Thanks – I agree. The bike looks mean! Note sure about the certificates mentioned, nor the exact size. Please have a look at Rottweiler’s site https://shop.rottweilerperformance.com/quick-flip-mirror-mount-kit-arrow-kit/